Dump-car.



No. 851,372. PATENTED APR. 23, 1907. s. OTIS. DUMP CAR.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 13, 1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

r ,3? m 7 4v Z 3 SIMQWWQ 7 0 9 1 3 2 R P D E T N E T A P m. SMA HG OP .M U D APPLICATION FILED AUG.13, 1904.

3 SEEETS-SHEBT 2.

Mew kjzjemr I No. 51,312. PATENTED APR. 23, 1907.

DUMP GAR.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.13, 1904.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

SPENCER one, or omcAoo, ILLINOIS.

DUMP-CAR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 23', 1907.

Application filed August 13,1904. Seria1 No. 220,673.

gitudinal sills and provided with mechanism connected .with such transverse beams and dumping doors for raising the doors to closed position, supporting them in such position and permitting them to be opened, and means for operating such mechanism and thereby the doors.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a simple, economical and ellicient mechanism for sup porting and operating the dumping doors of dump cars.

A further object of the invention is to provide shaft mechanism operatively connected with the dumping doors for raising them, and permitting them to be lowered, and adapted to form a support for the pivoted sides of the doors. 7

A further object of the invention is to provide means, which 'is here shown as o erated by such shaft mechanism, adapte to be connected with the ends of the swinging doors and mounted between such doors upon the transverse beams for raising the doors to closed position, supporting them in any in clined position and permitting them to be opened by the weight oi the load or otherwise.

A further object of the invention is to provide suitable supporting mechanism and means for transferring the weight of the doors and any load which may be placed thereon from the mechanisms which operate the doors to such supporting mecl'ianism, and to provide means tor releasing the doors from such supporting mechanism.

Other and further objects of the invention will appear from an examination of thedrawings and the 'following description and claims.

The ,invention consists in the features,

combinations and details of constructionhereinafter described and clai med.

lnthc accompanvmg drawings-Figure l. 15 an end elevation oi a dump car provided with my improvements, showing the mechanism for operating the main shafts which pivotally support the doors, and also serve in the capacity of operating shafts to raise and lower the doors and hold them in the desired inclined or horizontal positions; Fig. 2 an enlarged transverse sectional elevation, taken on line 2 of Fig. 5, showing the door operating mechanisms with the doors in closed position and illustrating the manner of connecting the operating shaft. mech anism and crank-wheels with'the doors and hollow transverse beams; Fig, 3 .a similar view showing the outside of one of the transverse beams and the arrangement of the depending bracket of the dumping door on the manner of connecting the i'lcpci'iding dumping door brackets and thereby the doors operatively with the crank-wheels; and Fig. 7 a detail view inelevation showing the mechanism for sup )orl'ing the weight of the door imlcpendently oi the means for operating such door.

In constructing a dump car provided with my improvements, 1 make a framework including an under frame formed oi longitudinal center sills a and longitudinal center sills I), also arranged near the center ol the car. The latter would be termed intermediate sills if employed in acar having side sills, but in my preferred construction the outer side sills are dispensed with, so as to provide the desired space for dumping the load. T hesc longitudinal sills, which may be of any ordinary and well-known construction, are mounted in the ordinary manner upon the bolsters or other supporting members of a railway car. The longitudinal sills, together tute the entire uni'lerl' aming oi'the c ar. These {member e. Thcy are open at the bottom,

the outside, and the sheave pulley with its" one of the crank-wheels in dotted lines and r with the hollow transverse beams c, constithe side members being. in the form of angle irons having depending portions which form the sides of the beam, and which are much j wider than the horizontal portions. A space is thus provided in the open bottom beam between the side members thereof for receivl ing the door operatingmechanisms,as hereinafter described. The side members of each of the transverse beams have horizontally projecting side flange portions f b i means" of which they are connected to the 1 horizontal member a of the beam. They thus form, with the longitudinal member, a r gid hollow transverse beam of sufficient strength to support the stress and strains to' which it is subjected in use, and adapted. to receive on the inside thereof the mechanism for operating the dumping doors. These hollow beams are arranged at intervals upon are provided with a central floor portion 9 laid thereon. Dumping doors h are arranged intermediate these hollow transverse beams, having suitable cleats i in therform of angle irons for strengthening and supporting the doors. These cleats also serve as hinge members, being provided with perforations at one end through which door supporting and main operating shafts 7c extend. Th main operating shafts are rotatably mounted in suitable bearings upon the transverse beams through which such shafts extend. If desired, suitable brackets may be mounted. upon the longitudinal beams and intermediate the transverse beams for supporting the shafts, though I prefer to mount them di in the transverse beams, as this ar- I employ two of these main operating shafts one for'each side of the car. They each pivotally support the entire set of dumping I doors upon their respective sides of the car, and it will, of course, be understood the doors may form the entire bottom of the car, or all but the central portion of such bottom, and that the mechanisms here described in connection with the hollow transverse beams are also employed in connection with the end sills or end frames, as shown at the left of 5, and also that a description of the 1 doors and the mechanisms for operating them on one side of the car applies equally to the same elements on the other side thereof, both being identical. 1

. means for operatively connecting the main In order. to provide. suitable and efficient the upper side of the longitudinal beams and I I form of two disk portions, which form the main bodyportion thereof, and between which is mounted a sprocket-Wheel m, the side portions of the wheel being sufficiently separated to admit between theme suitable sprocket chain n.one for each crank-wheel or part of disk-cranks. These chains are mounted upon the sprocket-wheels m, or toothed portions i of the crank-wheels, and upon similar sprocket-wheels 0 upon the main operating shaft in, alreadydescribed.

Each of the crank-wheels is provided with a suitable journal 79, which is rotatably mounted in perforations or bearings in the side members of the hollow transverse beam, which supports such crank-wheel.

' Each crank-wheel between the dumping.

doors is provided on each side and near its outer peripheral edge with a supporting crank-pin 7 extending parallel with the axis of the crank-Wheel, and a link 1 is pivotally mounted upon such crank-pin and pivotally f connected at its swinging end with a depending bracket 8 mounted upon the adjacent end of the dumping door to be operated and. supported thereby.

and links 1* are of substantially the same lleng'th, and there is one of such brackets l upon each end of each dumping door connected with such link bymeans of a pivot pin i, so that the door may thus be raised entirely to its 'closed position without the link or any portion of the operating mechanism extending above the surface of such door. The crank-wheels at the extreme ends of the car, of course, only require a crank-pin on one side thereof,- and While the intermediate cranl wheels are grooved oi depending brackets s formed of disks having a space or grooved 4 portion therebetween, and sprocket teeth at the bottom of the groove portion, the crank-wheels at the extreme ends ,of the car do not require the central groove, but may have a single disk portion on one side only of the sprocket-wheel portion.

It will be readily seen that by the above. arrangement the rotation of.-.the "crank disks or wheels in one direction, for instance to the right from the position shown in' Fig. 2, will permit the door to. be lowered bv the weightiotthe load or will lower such door, 'and tlie"rotat'ron of such crank-Wheels in the opposite direction will raise and close, the door, so that-in its raised position it will form a portion of the bottom of the car. When the parts are in the position shown'in F lg. 2 the ,pivot 7 should be to the-left of the axial center of the crank-wheel, so that such Ii -Wheel may be rotated to the right a sufficient distance to release the supporting IIO In order to provide suitable means by which the weight of'the load may be transferred from the c tank-wheels and the other door operating mechanisms, a keeper u, in the form of a hook, is pivotally nioiznled upon each transverse beam on the inner side thereof and adjacent to the crank-wheel upon a pivot '12. A suitable supporting and guide pin to is also mounted upon the transverse beam upon about the same plane with the pivot o. it enters a segmental slot y in the keeper, so as to permit and guide the movement of such keeper or hook, and together with the pivot pin 17 serves to support the load when transferred from the crankwheels to such keeper. There is one of these keepers or supporting hooks for each crankwheel.

In order to enable all of the parts to be so mounted to be belowthe plane of the door when in its closed position, each dumping door is provided with a depending stud or arm .2, having a horizontal portion 3, adapted to enter the recess formed by the hook portion 4 ol' thekceper. The keeper and depending stud or arm are of substantially the same length so that when the hook engages the arm the door is in its raised and closed position. All the working parts are thus le low the upper stirface of the door. The pivotal point of the keeper is to the left of the hook portion thereof so that it acts in the manner of a gravity latch,in other words, it is thrown by force of gravity into position to support the door and engage the dependin g stead or arm portion thereof.

ln'order to throw the keeper out of engagement with the door and its supporting arm, the crank-wheel is provided with a shoulder 5 upon ts periphery, which enages the shoulder 6 upon the keeper when the crank-wheel is rotated to the right from the positionshown in Fig. 2. The initial movement of the crankwheel in the direction to permit the door to open causes the shoulder 5-to throw the keeper out of engagement with the supporting arm and release thedoor. The continued rotation of the crank-wheel in the same direction permits the door to be loweredjo any desired position and it may be held at any desired incline by preventing the frrther rotation of the crank-wheel when s"ch inclined position is reached. crank-wheel in a direction to close the door, it is provided with a shoulder 7, which engages a pin 8 upon the transverse beam.

In order to provide suitable means for opcrating the main shafts and thereby the doors through the medium of the mechanisms above described, each of such main operating shafts is provided at at least one end thereof with a pinion 18, in which meshes with a 'pinion 9, the latter being operatively To limit the movement of the l l l i i of a shaft 11, having a beveled gear 12 at its lower end, and a beveled gear 13 connected wit h the pinion f) and meshing with the bevel gear of such shaft. By this arrangement the opcaating shaft is so geared down that it may be operated manually by means of the handwheel. The rotation of the hamlwheel in one direction causes a corresponding rotation of the main shaft and crankwheels on one side of the car, so as to permit the doors on that side to open, and its rotation in the opposite direction will cause the doors to be 'aised to closed position and perm it the keepers to be thrown into position tosupport the weight of such doors and any load which may be placed thereon.

in order to strengthen the transverse beams and all'ord a rigid connection between such beams and the longitudinal sills, braces 14 are riveted lirmly to such members as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. I

I claim: y

1. In a dump car of the class described, the combination of a car frame, a crank-wheel mounted inthe framework of the car, adumping door movable to closed position above the level of the top of the crank wheel, and means lor connecting such crank-wheel with the dumping door, substantially as described.

111 a dumping car, the combination of a frame having transverse beams and means for supporting the beams, of swinging dumping doors, crank mechanism mounted on the transverse beams below the level of the doors when the doors are in closed position, the crank mechanism having a fixed pivotal con nection with-the dumping doors, and means for operating the crank mechanism.

3. In a dump car of the class described, the compination of a car frame provided with longitudinal sills and transverse beams, crank mechanism mounted adjacent to such transverse beams. swinging dumping doors, means for connecting such crank mechanism with the (lumping doors, a main operating shaft, and means for connecting such main operating shaft with the c ank mechanism, substantially as described.

4-. In a dump car of the class described, the combination of a car frame provided with longitudinal sills, hollow transverse beams mounted upon such sills.- crankwhecls mounted in such hollow trimsverse beams, swinging dumping doors, means for connecting such crank-wheels with the dumping doors, a main operating shaft, means for connecting such main operating shaft with the crank-wheels, and means for operat ing the main shaft, substi'mtially as described.

iii a car of the class described, the combimit ion of .a supporting framework, dumping doors, mechanism mounted between the ends of the dumping doors entirely below connected with a liand-wheel 10, by means i the level of the upper surface ,of the doors binati 4o ear each consisting of substan such crankwheel when they are in closed position and provided With connecting door-supporting mechanism in engagement with such doors intermediate the outer lateral edges and longitudinal centers thereof, and means for operating such mechanism and thereby the dumping doors, substantially as described.

In a car of the class desc bination of longitudinal sills,

verse beams mounted u tending over the longitudinal side to the other of the car each having side portions provided With a space therebetween and an upper portion connecting such side portions, all forming aframcwork, and dumping doors movably mounted in the frame- Work formed by such longitudinal sills and transverse beams, substantially as described. 7. In a car of the class described,'the combination of longitudinal sill mechanism, transverse be pen and exn sills Irom one and mechanism such transverse beams and the dumping doors for opera tially as described.

8. In a car of the class described, the combination of a supporting framework provided with transverse beams having side portions provided With a space thcrebetween, means for supporting such transverse beams, durm ing doors, and mechanism mounted in the he side porti one of such tra ns- Ver'se beams below the closed position of and connected With the dumping doors for opcrating them, substantially as described.

' 9. In a car of the class described, the corn on of longitudinal sill mechanism, transverse beams, each having side portions pro vided With a space therebetween and. an up per portion connecting such side portions, dumping doors, and mechanism mounted in the spacebetween the side portions of such transverse beams below the closed position of and connected with theidumping doors for operating them, substantially as described.

10. In a car of the class described, the commounted upon connected with ting such doors,

a air of sidemembers provided With'a space t erebetween, and an upper member connected to and connecting such side members, substantially as described. r

11. In a dumpcar of the class described, the combination of a car frameprcvided With longitudinal sills, hollow transverse beams mounted'uponsuchsill ed in such hollow transverse beams, swinging dumping doors, links y mounted upon s and connected. with such' dumping doors, main operating shaft mech- V s mountl anism, means for connecting such main op erating shaft mechanism with the era-nip Wheels, and means for operating such main operating shaft mechanism, substantially as described.

12. in a dump car of the class described, the combination or" a car frame; a dumping door, a keeper mounted upon the framework of the 'car movable into and out of operative en agement with the dumping door iorgsupporting and releasing such door, mechanism connected with the door for operating it, and means connected with and operated by the door-operating mechanism for operating the keeper, substantially as described. 1' 13. in a dump car of the class described, the combination of a car frame, a duraping .doo'r provided with a sup keeper mounted upon theirameworlr of the car movable into'and out of engagement with such supporting arm for supporting and releasing tne door, means for operating such dumping door, and means connected with and operated by the door-operating mechane ism for operating the keeper, substantially as described..-

i i. in a dump car of the combination of a car the class described, frame, a plurality oi dumping doors, ,reepei mechanism mounted upon the framework of the car movable automatically into operative engagement with such dumping doors tor'supportingthern, mechanism connected -with the dumping doors for operating them, and means connect ed with and operated by the (loo mechanism for releasing such he anisin. substantially as described 15. in a dump car of the class described, the combination of car frame, a dumping door provided vrith a supporting arm, a keeper pivntally mounted in the framework of the car adapted to engage such supporting arm, a crank-wheel mounted in the framework of the car, means for connecting such crank-wheel with the dumping door, means for operating such keeper to release the duinoing door, and means for operating the cran -Wheel, substantially as described.

16. In a dumpcar oi the class described, e combination of a car frame, a dumping a supporting arm, a hoe er pivotally mounted in the framework of t e car adapted to engage such supporting" arm, a crank-Wheel mounted in the frame: work of the car provided With means for'op erating such keeper to release thedumpin oor, means for connecting such crank-whee. With the dumpin door, and means for operating such crane-wheel and thereby the keeper and dumping door, substantially as described. a

17. in a dump ear of the combination 5i a With hollow transverse b mounted upon each of th door provided with the class described, car frame provided earns, a crank-Wheel a plurality of such r-operating eper me'ch orti'n arm a 851,372 5 transverse beams entirely below the level ol mounted upon and connecting such sprocketthe upper surface of the dumping doors when wheels and thereby the main operating shalt intheir closedposition, dumping doors mountwith the crank-wheels, dumping doors pivotedintermediate the transverse beams, means tall mounted upon the main-shalt and prolor connecting such dumping doors with the vided with depending brackets, links pivotorankwheels,amainoperatingshalt,sprocket ally mounted upon surh crank-wheels an 6: wheels mounted on such main shalt inside pivotally connected to such depending the hollow transverse beams, and chain and brackets, depending supporting studs upon sprocket mechanism for connecting such such doors, and a keeper mounted in the main operating shalt with the cranlewheels, framework ol the car movable into and out substantially as described of engagement with such. depending support- 18. In a'car ol the class described, the coming studs, substantially as described. bination of a dumping door, a shalt upon 23. In a dump car ol' the class described, which such dumping door is pivo tally mountthe combination ol a car lrame provided with ed, and mechanism operated by such shalt transverse beams, a crank-wheel mounted and connected with the dumping door for opupon each ol a pluralitv o'l such transverse 7o crating such door, substantially as described. beams, a main ,o 'ierating shalt, means lor 19. Ina car ol the class described, the comconnecting such main operating shalt with bination of dumping doors, a shalt upon the cranlvwheels, a plurality ol' dumping which such doors are, pivotally' mounted, doors each provided with a. depending supmechanism connected with such shalt and i portingbracket, and links pivotally mounted "dumping doors lor operating the doors, and upon such crank-wheels and pivotally conmeans for operating such shalt and thereby nected with each of such depending supportthe dumping doors,substantially as described. l ing brackets, substantially as described.

20. In a dump car ol theclass described, l 24. in a dump car ol the class described, the combination ol a carlramc provided with i the combination ol a car lrame, agrooved 8o transverse beams, crankmechanism mounted crank-wheel mounted thereon and provided upon each ol a plurality ol such transverse with sprocket teeth inside the grooved porbeams, sprocket-wheel mechanism connected tion th'ereol, a dumping door, and means for with such. crank mechanism,a main o'peratcormccting such grooved crank-wheel with ing shalt provided with sprocket-wheels the dumping door, substantially as demountcc'rthereon, chains mounted upon and scribed. connecting such sprocket-wheels and thereby l 25. ln a dump car ol the class described, the main operating shalt with the crank the combination o'l' a car l'rame, swinging mechanism, dumping doors pivotallymountdumping doors, mechanism mounted in the edupon the main shalt, and means lor eon car li'ainc. intermediate the ends ol the dum fleeting such dumping doors with the crank ing doors entirely below the upper level of t 1e mechanism, substantially described. upper surface ol the doors when they are in 21. hi a dump car ol the class described, closed position and connected with the doors the eombination ol a car lrame, crank mechbetween, their outer lateral edges and longituanism mounted upon such 'lram'e, amain op dinal centers lor operating the doors, an crating shalt, chain and sprocket mechanism means for operating such mechanism an connecting such main operating shalt with thereby the doors, substantially as described. the crank mechanism, dumping doors pivot 36. A car having a series ol doors in its lloor "ally mounted and provided with depending arranged to swing in parallel planes, a series -brackets, andalink pivotally connected with ol separate stub-shalts havingconnections I00 each of such depending brackets such crank mechanism, substantially I scribed. l 22. In a dump car of the class described, l the combination of a car frame, crankl a provided with sprocket chain mechanism and with as demain operating shalt wheels mounted thereon,

arranged to actuate each door, an operating shalt, and independent connections from each stub-shalt to the operating shalt, substantially as described.

SPENCER OTIS.

\Yitnesses Hanna l. (lacuna, Axum (J. Counrnnar. 

